BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
“Argo" is a historical based thriller directed by and starring Ben Affleck. In 1979 the Iran Hostage Crisis went down. A group of young Iranian revolutionaries took over the US embassy in Tehran. Pretty much everyone is taken hostage except six Americans who escape to the home of a Canadian ambassador. They are stuck there and are in fear of being captured, tortured, and or murdered. The government brainstorms on how to get these six people home. The idea that comes out of this is one of the coolest heist stories I’ve ever heard. Ben Affleck is a CIA specialist who comes up with the idea to make a fake movie. With this he and “his crew” would go to Iran to scout locations for a completely made up science fiction movie. The movie, “Argo”, is given a storyboard, a poster, a backstory, and hyped as if it’s a real project in the states. This all validates the fake project and gets Affleck into the country. The “crew” he has with him isn’t real. When he gets there he has to turn these six people into his made up crew. It’s as over the top, crazy, and intense as it sounds. Holy shit does it make for a great story and a fun viewing experience! See it now! Don’t waste time! Ben Affleck’s direction in “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town” got him his fair share of respect. He has done his share of acting in good and bad movies, but he’s approaching an iconic Hollywood status that few reach. He can act, he can direct, he can write, and he can do it all very well. In this movie he directs his most mature project and does a great job. He’s been doing great for a while. His acting in the movie’s he has directed has been solid, but I think this HAS to be his best acting performance in recent memory. That says a lot because I’m a BIG fan of this dude. It doesn’t end with him. Bryan Cranston has done some magical TV work in recent years with “Breaking Bad” and “Malcolm In The Middle”. I’ve seen him in some movie roles, but his rocktastic performance in this movie SHOULD at least get him a supporting actor nomination. Then again, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and pretty much the entire credited cast handed in their inhibitions and got lost in this fascination world and story. There have been tons of “buzz” around this movie. The critics and movie nerds are saying this film is going to take some of the big awards come award season. After going into it without really getting too caught up in the hype, I can honestly say I agree. This was a great movie and should be seen, acclaimed, and appreciated. The performances were top notch, the direction was great, the story was inspired, and pretty much everything about this movie was no less than great. If you get a chance to see this movie then I recommend you take advantage. It’s a fun ride and tells a story that has to be seen to believed. Great film. I can’t see many 2012 films touching this. Most certainly, A!
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